Baseball Q&A

Many baseball abbreviations may seem confusing at first glance. This one is rather simple: DTD stands for Day-To-Day. DTD is an abbreviation used when classifying a player’s injury status. Usually, a low-grade injury that is easily healed will result in the player being listed as DTD. The DL, or disabled list, is a list that … Read more

A baseball player uses many different muscles to move his body effectively. Some of these muscles are never really used in other sports. One muscle that makes a huge difference is the forearm. If you want to hit the ball hard, you’re going to need to have strong forearms! If you watch a baseball game … Read more

Spring Training is an experience like no other. Once a year, players and fans get to experience a unique month of baseball. The regular season in the MLB typically begins in the first week of April. Spring Training takes up nearly the entire month of March. In preparation for the 162-game season, all MLB teams … Read more

If you’ve ever been to a baseball game, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the phrase “can of corn” at some point. This phrase is another slang term that is commonly used in baseball. A can of corn represents an easy out for the defense. It is a good thing for the defense and the … Read more

The old motto of the US Postal Service said that they worked no matter what, in “snow, rain, heat, or gloom of night.” MLB does not share the same passion for the weather. Baseball is that one sport where rain can make the game significantly more dangerous for players. It might make one think that … Read more

Let’s face it. It is a right-handed world. Only 10% of the world’s population is left-handed, so lefties are the ones struggling to find scissors, kitchen equipment, and computer mice that are comfortable to use. While this sounds like a disadvantage in life, in the world of baseball, being left-handed is one of the best … Read more

Children of all ages dream of Olympic greatness. They imagine standing on the gold medal podium and hearing their national anthem in the background. But what if your day job did not allow you to chase your gold medal dreams? For baseball players that have made it to the professional level, their Olympic chances have … Read more

Today, all major American teams and individual sports have some form of instant replay or an appeal (or challenge) system for players and coaches to dispute an umpire’s or referee’s decision. If you had to guess which sport was one of the last to adopt this technology, which would you guess? It’s not professional bull … Read more

The outfield is a long way from the four bases of baseball. It is a long throw for any outfielder, especially if they are near the outfield wall. To account for this, a cut-off man was created. When an outfielder has to make a long throw, an infielder will stand in the line of the … Read more

Every pitcher has their own unique pitching style. Some have wild leg kicks, some have bizarre head and eye movements, and some almost fall off the mound after every pitch. Whatever style a pitcher uses, there are still just two legal pitching motions: the windup and the stretch (also called the “set” position). There is … Read more

In baseball, more than most other sports, the use of slang words, jargon, and acronyms can get a little out of hand. But that’s why we love the game, right? When you hear the term “the side,” it usually comes in the form of “retiring the side” or “striking out the side.” But what exactly … Read more

A pitcher cannot throw to an unoccupied base if he is still standing on the rubber. Throwing to an unoccupied base is similar to a pickoff move. The pitcher can only begin his move or throw once he has stepped off the rubber. If he moves while still on the rubber, this will be called … Read more

A steal attempt to reach second base is going to be covered by either the shortstop or the second baseman. The hitter at the plate is what usually decides who covers the bag. If the batter is a lefty, the shortstop will cover. If the batter is right-handed, the second baseman will cover the bag. … Read more

Like all aspects of sports, pitching a baseball requires proper technique, muscle memory, and the strengthening of necessary muscles. In football, linemen hit and push a sled; basketball players shoot hundreds of free throws daily, and pitchers wave around a kitchen towel in baseball. While that does not sound very athletic, the towel drill for … Read more

The communication between pitchers and catchers is vital to the success of the team because catchers are responsible for what type of pitches should be thrown to each batter. Miscommunication between the pitcher and the catcher can result in passed balls and even injuries to the catcher. Catchers wear nail polish in baseball to help … Read more

Do you have your first baseball tryout coming up soon? You should start getting in shape and getting yourself prepared. A tryout can be a nerve-wracking thing. However, it can be the start of something beautiful. As you make your first team, it could be the beginning of your baseball career. On the other side, … Read more

Pitchers have some wiggle room for faking a pickoff attempt, but not much. Pitchers used to be able to fake a pickoff to third base and then continue to pickoff at first. However, a recent rule has made this move illegal and eliminated it from the game. After this change, there aren’t many fake pickoffs … Read more

The pitch count describes the current situation of a baseball game. To be more specific, it describes how the current at-bat is going. A batter gets three strikes and four balls until a result is decided. To keep track of all of this, the pitch count was created. When it comes to pitchers, their pitch … Read more

Each season, MLB schedules 2,430 regular-season games between April and October. The NFL only schedules 272 games, and the NBA has only 1,230. Now consider the needs and demands of television and radio broadcasters, advertising sponsors and partners, and the fans in the stands who buy the tickets. Add it all up, and you have … Read more

Suppose you think hitting a 5-ounce round baseball traveling at speeds of over 100 mph is difficult. In that case, hitters also must deal with the occasional pitcher who breaks the rules and alters the baseball by adding substances or scuffing or damaging the outside of the ball, making it move in all kinds of … Read more

Not every ball hit high into the sky is destined to be a home run. If you remember the movie Major League, then you know the story of Willie Mays Hayes and his difficulties with the pop out. So, what causes a pop out? Several factors include the type of pitch thrown, the hitter’s swing, … Read more

Baseball fans are passionate people. Our favorite teams can make us cheer, scream, laugh, and cry—sometimes all in one game. But one thing our favorite teams do not need is their fans inserting themselves into the game action. So, what happens when the fans in the stands make their presence felt by interfering in the … Read more

Knowing when to slide can determine if you are safe or out. The positioning of your slide also plays a massive role in the outcome of the play. A simple rule of thumb is to slide into a base every time there is a close play. The only exception is at first base. Besides that, … Read more

Baseball players wear hats mainly to keep the sun and stadium lights out of their eyes. In the early days of baseball, players were allowed to wear any type of brimmed straw hat to help keep the sun out of their eyes when catching fly balls.  Baseball hats also protect the face against sunburn and … Read more

The term “choke up” has several meanings in popular culture, but in baseball, choke up has a specific meaning for hitters. This is not to be confused with the popular definition of “choke” in sports when someone is expected to do well and does not. When a hitter chokes up on the baseball bat, it … Read more

There are nine innings in an MLB baseball game. In each inning, there is a bottom half and a top half. Each team gets a turn to hit in every inning. In order for an inning to end, the defense must get three outs. Once there are three outs, the inning is over, and the … Read more

Many skills make up a great baseball player. Some of them are more important than others. However, they all come together to make great players. Speed is one of them. Players are becoming faster as teams and coaches search everywhere for this skill. The pace of a baseball game can be slow. Once a play … Read more